Sparks
by owls-and-asters
Summary: "My heart is yours, it's you that I hold on to." A series of one-shots/vignettes written for Zutara Month 2015.
1. Promise Me

Day One: Secret Lovers

 _ **Promise Me.**_

"Katara," he said as he placed another kiss on her neck. She shivered at the heat of his lips.

"Yes, Zuko?"

"Promise me this won't be the last time …. I … I don't want it to be." He took her chin in his hand and bade her to look at him. This was all wrong, he knew that and she knew that but it felt so right. She was meant to be in his arms.

"Zuko I …." she stopped and lifted her hand to rest on his scarred cheek. Spirits, she thought, I don't want it to be the last time.

He gave her hope. She suppressed a chuckle. Who would have thought her once sworn enemy would be the one to give her a new light of hope. But yet there he was, with all the determination to set things right. To rebuild a nation and fix all its past errors. He would be a magnificent Fire Lord, she knew that, she believed in that. He would help in rebuilding the world.

Zuko stroked his thumb against her lips. She was the most captivating thing.

"It won't be the last time Zuko, I promise."

He smiled and pulled her to his chest. "I wish …" he began.

"I know."

And for a while, as they lay entangled in each other, nothing else mattered. They were each others and no one else's.


	2. What He Always Knew

Day Two: Red String

 ** _What He Always Knew_**

Zuko thought Iroh never noticed. He thought he never noticed just how tightly he held on to the Waterbender's necklace when he thought no one was looking. How sometimes he would reach into his pocket just to feel the necklace's smooth stone and soft ribbon. Zuko thought Iroh never noticed, but he did.

It made the old General softly smile. It was time to tell his nephew an old folktale of the Fire Nation.

It was late into the evening as Iroh sat quietly sipping on some jasmine tea. Zuko sat across from him in a contemplative mood. Iroh observed him. He had been doing that for days after he had found the necklace.

"It will lead us to the Avatar," Zuko had claimed. How a girl's necklace would lead them to the young Avatar was not something Iroh had questioned out loud.

"Prince Zuko, have I ever told you the tale of the Red String?"

Iroh's voice made Zuko come out of his thoughts. "The Red String? Uncle this is no time for more nonsense stories."

"Oh Prince Zuko, humour your old uncle, besides were just sitting here, might as well pass the time."

Zuko frowned. "We have no time to waste."

Iroh saw his hand move discreetly towards his pocket.

"Perhaps not. What do you plan on doing with that necklace Prince Zuko?"

Zuko's hand moved swiftly away from over his left pocket. Iroh suppressed a grin.

Zuko huffed, got up and stalked towards the door. With a slam of the door he was out.

Iroh sighed. There would be another time for the old tale.

* * *

Iroh found the time for the legend the next time they encountered the Avatar. Needless to say, it was not the best of encounters and Zuko was not in the best of moods. The Waterbender's necklace, however, remained in the young prince's pocket and the prince himself was oddly not raging and instead sitting in contemplative silence yet again.

Iroh didn't even ask for permission to begin telling the old folktale. "There is an old folktale in the Fire Nation, the Red String of Fate. It is quite old, dating back hundreds of years." He stopped to see if the prince would object but Zuko said nothing and instead glared at him.

Iroh cleared his throat and continued. "It begins one morning, when a young boy was walking towards his village from the forest. As he reached the end he saw an old man under a tree, besides him is a large satchel. The boy sees the old man holding a large scroll. He asks him what the scroll contains. "It is the scroll of soulmates," the old man replied, "I only need to use one string from my satchel to tie two people together and make them soulmates,"" Iroh paused as Zuko rolled his eyes.

Iroh took a long sip of his tea and then resumed the tale, "The young boy had sneered after that."

"Anyone would have," Zuko murmured almost inaudibly. Iroh's eyebrow rose. So his nephew was paying attention to him. Although Iroh had never doubted that Zuko didn't pay attention, he just never seemed to bother.

"The old man took the boy to the neighboring village, an enemy village. While there the old man pointed out the girl that was to be his soulmate. The boy was angered," Iroh emphasized, "So much so that he picked up the nearest rock and threw it at the girl and left running back towards his own village. Years later peace was made between both villages and the boy was to be married as were many others to ensure that the peace would be eternal. On his wedding night the now young man lifted the veil of his bride. She was a beautiful woman."

Zuko shifted and looked directly at his uncle again.

"Of course the young man was happy to see that his wife was one of the most beautiful women from the other village, but he also noticed that she decorated one eyebrow in a most unusual way. He asked her why she did so and she responded as she took off the decoration, "Long ago, when I was but a little girl, someone threw a rock at me and it left me scarred. I never saw who it was, but I know it was a boy." The young man then remembered the old man from many years ago, and he remembered the scroll and the red string. He remembered what the old man had told him about the string. That it connects those destined to be soulmates." Iroh lulled for a moment. Zuko's hand had gone into his left pocket and his brow was furrowed. This time Iroh didn't stop his grin.

"Now, there is one more thing to add to that story Prince Zuko, The Red String of Fate may tangle and stretch, but it never breaks, and it will always lead to the right place, even if we do not see it."

Zuko said nothing to him but instead rose and walked towards the window and remained there until Iroh had left the room. In his own chambers Iroh mused over his own thoughts. There was not a doubt in his mind that he knew exactly why he meant to tell his nephew that old Fire Nation tale. He just hoped that Zuko would see for himself one day just exactly why Iroh had told him.

* * *

It was seven years later, when his nephew presented Katara with a betrothal necklace with a thick strand of red going down the middle of the ribbon that Iroh saw that Zuko had realized what Iroh had known from the beginning.


	3. Drunk Zuko

Day Three: Drunk

 _ **Drunk Zuko**_

Dealing with him sober was bad enough, but dealing with a drunk Zuko was worse. Usually the image of balance, Zuko was now stumbling over everything, even his own two feet.

"Where did they even get that Fire Whiskey?" Katara groaned as she once again had to help Zuko stand upright.

"Shhh, don't tell Katara about the Fire Whiskey," Zuko slurred and then laughed loudly. "She'll get angry. Angry Katara is a scary Katara."

"I'm not scary!" she snapped.

Zuko laughed louder. "It's like I can hear her."

Katara wanted to just leave him alone so he could stumble and fall until he reached his tent on his own. But the way he kept laughing and giggling made her think of a small child and she had always been fond of children. Besides, it wouldn't be wise of her to display her distaste with him so blatantly in front of the others. Speaking of which, where were the others?

"Where's everyone?"

She didn't get an answer. She hadn't expected one either.

"You're so heavy Zuko, don't lean on me too much!"

He only leaned in more into her side.

"You're impossible," she huffed and lifted up his chest. She thanked La that all her waterbending had given her stamina in her arms because Zuko was heavier than she expected him to be,

"Shhh, shhh, you'll wake Katara. She doesn't like me. She'll be mad, very mad." He laughed again. "Angry Katara is a pretty Katara," he added with a smirk.

She stopped abruptly and Zuko lurched forward. Instinctively she reached out so he wouldn't fall yet again.

"What was that Zuko?" Had he just called her pretty? She noticed his face flush even more.

He shook his head. "Can't say now." He put a finger to his lips. "Shhh."

They walked a bit further until they reached his tent.

"My tent!" he sputtered as he reached for his tent's flap.

"Yes your tent," she said dryly. "I'll leave you to your own devices now."

He whimpered, "No, stay. Stay. I'm thirsty and I need water and you're a watergirl."

"I thought you didn't know who I was, Zuko."

He smiled widely. "Of course I know. You're my girlfriend."

She froze then and couldn't find what to say. She needed him to go to sleep now especially because of the look he was giving her. Like a lovesick wolf pup.

"I don't throw knives," she informed him as she averted her eyes from his.

"No, no, no." He wiggled his finger in front of her face. "You move water. My waterbender. Water. I'm thirsty."

"Go inside, I'll give you water," she promised. To herself she murmured, "and then I'll get out of here."

"Come in!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her in with more strength than she thought a laced Zuko would possess.

His tent smelled of smoke and warm spices she noticed as she walked towards the middle. It was strangely a comforting smell. He let go of her hand and went to sit at the foot of his makeshift bed. He patted the spot next to him.

"I won't sit," she told him, "I'm just going to give you water and I'm leaving."

"But I don't want you to leave."

"Zuko, you're drunk, you need water and you need sleep. And I need to find the others."

"Everyone is hiding. They don't want to wake Katara."

She sighed tensely. "Zuko, I am Katara."

He laughed again but much more gently this time.

"I know." His face grew warmer. "Stay please?"

She shook her head. "You don't know what you're asking me. You hate me."

His eyes widened as he put his arms up in the air in a defensive stance. The gesture made him move forward and he struggled to keep upright. Katara moved towards him quickly to keep him from falling over. As she helped him sit up he put his arms around her waist and held on tightly.

"Let me go Zuko," Katara demanded trying not to lose her calm.

"I don't hate you," he protested, "Katara I don't hate you. Opposite really. Don't leave."

She pushed at his arms. "Zuko …" was all she got the chance to say before he let her go.

"You hate me," he murmured as he looked at his feet. "Don't hate me Katara," he pleaded. His voice, she noted, was slightly steadier than it had been when she had found him nearly passed out by the fire. Katara realized that the effects of the Fire Whiskey might have been passing and if they were, she didn't want to hear him telling her this while sober, she would have preferred it to have been said while drunk. She turned to leave the tent; she needed to get out of here.

As she began to walk away she heard him groan loudly.

"No chance Zuko, no chance," he said to himself. "Ugh, water."

He groaned again but this time it was muffled. She looked back to find him face down on his bed. She could still make out the side of his face and could see that he was still extremely flushed. He did need some water. Despite everything telling her to go, she turned back. Damn the healer in her, she cursed.

"Zuko," she began as she walked back towards the bed, "get up, you need water."

She unscrewed her waterskin and pulled out a substantial stream of water. At the sound of water Zuko's head snapped up. His eyes locked on the stream of water by Katara's hip. He sat up quickly and Katara moved the water closer to him.

"Open your mouth Zuko," she commanded as she inched closer. One of her knees came up on the bed and she leaned in closer to the firebender. He followed suit and leaned in towards her. His eyes softened as she took his chin and urged him forward. She guided the water towards his parted lips. He opened his mouth wider and drank the water without the slightest hesitation. Katara wondered just how badly the Fire Whiskey had dehydrated him.

"Thank you 'Tara," he murmured, "thank you."

She felt a smile tug at her lips, "You're welcome Zuko."

He smiled and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "You're so pretty Katara. I think you're the prettiest girl I've ever met. And the smartest too, and the bravest, and the most kind. I don't deserve your kindness."

She thought of a thousand things to say back to him to tell him that he was right, that he didn't deserve her kindness after he had betrayed her trust back in Ba Sing Se. But something about making a retort didn't feel right at this moment. She couldn't bring herself to say anything.

She placed her hand over the one that he had moved over onto her cheek. His gaze was tenderly hazy.

"Go to sleep Zuko."

"Stay?"

She shook her head slightly and placed his hand back on his lap. "I have to go find the others. Just go to sleep."

She calmly pushed him back towards the bed. Zuko didn't protest to this and she was thankful for that. He closed his eyes as soon as his head was pressed into the pillow. Katara then made her way back to the entrance of the tent. She opened the flaps and heard him say, very clearly, and very cautiously, "I love you Katara."

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. His eyes were closed again and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. With a final look at him she left briskly. It was best to forget what had just happened. She decided to not think about it as she went off to find the others. But she knew that she would be thinking about this tomorrow and for the days to come.

And tomorrow, all of them were sure to get an earful.


	4. Not to be Found

__Zutara Month Day 4: Lost

 _ **Not to be Found**_

He didn't remember when it had happened.

He didn't remember when he had first noticed the intensity of her blue eyes, the warmth of her beige skin, or the curl of her hair. He didn't remember when he had first realized that she was beautiful.

He didn't remember when he first noticed her strength. The skill of her hands. The power of her hands. He never realized when he noticed these things.

It all just happened suddenly. Suddenly, her voice was the only thing he wanted to hear. The lilt of her words, the softness in some and harshness in others. Hers was the only laugh he wanted to hear, the only smile he wanted to see. She was the only one he wanted to see, the one he wanted so desperately to be around.

He stayed up late, even though he hated it just because it was her time. (She of course did not know this, because if she had Zuko would be dead for daring to watch her bend under the moon's light. But he couldn't help it, even with the risk involved, he was entranced.)

He rose with the sun and she with the moon. She was a goddess of the night.

And he was lost in the thought of her. He was lost in the burning passion he felt for her.

And he didn't want to be found.


	5. Every Girl's Dream

Day Five: Wedding

 _ **Every Girl's Dream**_

"Ah, now this is the life," Suki said with a deep sigh of contentment.

"I'm with you sister," Toph agreed.

"Mmmhmm," Katara added. "A girl's day was just what we needed."

The girls sank lower in the warm spring as Katara made the water bubble.

"Sweetness comes in handy sometimes," Toph teased.

Katara rose her eyebrows and lightly nudged Toph. Toph gave her her signature smirk.

"The boys don't know what they're missing out on," Suki commented with a laugh, "but this is too girly for them."

"Girly? After that Dragon Dance, neither Zuko or Aang can say anything, and Sokka, well, he's dressed in drag before …"

Katara and Suki chortled in unision. The image of Sokka in the traditional Kyoshi outfit was enough to send them all into a fit of giggles.

Yes, this girl's day was exactly what they had needed. They sat there for a couple of minutes before Suki spoke up.

"Have any of you ever wondered what your wedding will be like? I mean, it's every girl's dream, I can't tell you how many hours I spent listening to the older warriors talking about their dream weddings… so have you ever wondered?" Suki looked at Katara, "I know you have Katara."

Katara blushed, "Well I can't say that I haven't really."

"Sugar Queen is just looking for her Sugar King," Toph remarked, "And I think Aang's called dibs on that."

"I wouldn't say that," Suki told her and discreetly tapped Toph's leg with her foot, "there might be others."

"What is the deal with you and Aang, Sweetness?"

Katara didn't answer right away. Frankly, she didn't even know the answer to that. The war had been over for three months and people's lives were slowly getting back on track. They were recovering and settling back into normal life steadily. But even with everything turning out on the right path there was still that confusion about Aang that weighed heavily on her mind. Aang wanted to be with her, and she loved him, but she didn't feel she loved him in that way. Besides, there was someone else that was just making it all so complicated.

Katara sighed. "I don't know."

"Well let's not talk about any person in particular -"

"Says the girl who's about this close," Toph interjected, "to marrying Snoozles."

"In relation to Katara," Suki finished. "Like I said, let's discuss what we'd like our future weddings to be like. I can start first, hmmm … let's see." She paused. "Well I'd like a spring wedding on Kyoshi. I'll wear a coronet of camellias …. and have a beautiful dress of yellow … I don't know the design just yet, maybe something that fans out-"

"It's all fans with you," Toph laughed. Suki stuck out her tongue.

"Let me finish!" Suki continued on with great detail about how she wanted her special day to be like and all the while Katara couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Not with Suki's wedding plans, but just with the idea of a wedding at all. It felt like something she'd never have. She'd never actually dated anyone or had even been in love, and things with Aang just …. well, she couldn't see Aang like that. And then she was starting to think of …. she cut off her own thoughts and began to listen to Suki again before her mind strayed to what she deemed dangerous territory.

"... and the bridesmaid's will dress in light colors, we'll all look like a garden. Oh there'll be flowers everywhere! And lanterns of all colors strewn all over! Cookies, lots of cookies! And … Well, that's all that I can think about."

"That sounds beautiful Suki," Katara beamed, "I can't wait to go to that wedding."

"Better tell Sokka to not plan a Water Tribe wedding," Toph told Suki.

Suki grinned, "I'll tell him." She turned her attention to Toph, "What about you? Anything you'd like in particular?"

"Me?" the earthbender asked, "aren't I just a little too young for that?"

"You're also a little too young for the way you curse Toph, but that's never stopped you before," Katara observed.

"Hmph, well I don't think I'll ever get married."

"You never know," Suki chimed in, "Mr. Right could one day come and sweep you off your feet."

"No thanks I'd prefer if my feet stayed on the ground."

The girls snickered softly.

"That just leaves you Katara, now tell us, what would you like?"

Katara gave it a thought. She'd never really seen an actual Water Tribe wedding and only ever heard of them.

"I suppose it'll be a traditional Water Tribe wedding. I don't want to stray too far from custom."

"Awh Katara come on, if there were no customs, what would you like?"

Katara stilled. What would she even like? Her focus for the past years hadn't been on something as trivial as a wedding. She took a deep breath.

"I want a beautiful dress of course, in a pale blue, with silver bordering. Something flowy ….."

"Like water?" Suki asked.

"Yes, I suppose so. I'd wear my betrothal necklace. My hair … well I'd let that down."

"You're hair is beautiful Katara, you should wear it down, or maybe half up! I'll help you do it, oh my, I can already see it!" Suki told her excitedly.

Katara chuckled, "I'll need all the help I can get, I've never been good with all that stuff …. and hmmm, I'd have GranGran cook all the food …. oh really, I don't know." Katara felt flustered. She discomforted with talking about something she didn't feel certain with at all. What if she never married? It felt pointless to discuss something that might never happen. Suki sensed her discomfort and decided not to pry any further.

"Well we have plenty of time to plan out everything," Suki conceded, "for now let's just enjoy this perfect moment."

* * *

It was near evening when they returned to back to the summer palace. The boys were outside sprawled over the steps. When they heard the girl's approaching their heads snapped up and they sat up straight almost instantly. When Zuko and Katara's eyes met both felt blood rush to their cheeks. There was an odd little thing between them since the end of the war. They both knew what it was but neither had ever felt the need to say it out loud. Hence Katara's confusion reaching its breaking limit.

"Where have you been?" Sokka demanded breaking the slight tension that Katara felt was starting to brew, "it's nearly sunset and you're just barely coming back, and dripping wet, I mean …"

"Calm down Snoozles, we're on the beach, there's an ocean even less than half a mile from here," Toph told him as she pushed past the concerned Water Tribe boy and went inside.

"And we told you were were going to the spa, we just stopped by the beach for a walk," Katara answered after Toph.

Suki greeted her boyfriend with a light kiss, "We're fine."

"Right, it's just … Habit. So uhm, what did you even do all day besides the obvious?"

"We talked about girl things like … hmmm, weddings," his girlfriend said as she led him inside the small palace with all the others.

"Weddings?" Zuko and Aang said in unision.

"Yes, boring stuff really," Toph added.

Sokka looked at Suki, "So weddings, I guess that's … uhm neat."

Toph let out a chortle. "Your girlfriend's all flowers Snoozles, trust me."

"So … weddings, do you know what you want yours to be like Katara?" Aang posed as he came to stand next to a now sitting Katara. Katara shrugged.

"I really don't know Aang," she said honestly. "It's something for the future. Not anytime soon."

"You bet it's not going to be anytime soon," Sokka declared. "No funny ideas Katara."

Katara nodded and rolled her eyes. She stood up and started towards her room. The day had been relaxing but the talk about weddings was just not her thing and it seemed like it would be the next topic of conversation.

"You won't stay Katara?" Aang called after her with hopeful eyes, "Come on, it's still too early!"

Katara shook her head. "The pampering and everything just tired me out," it was a lame excuse considering Suki and Toph both looked refreshed and energized but she continued anyways, "I'm just going to go lie down."

Aang's face fell slightly before he recovered with a childish grin. "Well then, goodnight!"

"Goodnight Aang. Goodnight everyone."

Zuko glanced at her as she turned to leave. Silently he asked her for permission to follow her which she answered with a slight bend of her finger. He would slip away when everyone was distracted.

* * *

They had never spoken about the odd thing between them but they had talked about everything else. Their chats had become a thing of common occurrence. Whenever they all met up Zuko and Katara would slip away to just talk about really anything. The serious stuff, the not so serious stuff. Sometimes they would argue, other times they would tease each other until they were out of comebacks. In all they felt comfortable confiding with each other about their so called 'love' lives. Katara would tell Zuko about Aang and Zuko would tell her about Mai. They understood each other. In a short time they had become like best friends.

"Hey there 'Tara," Zuko greeted her as he stood at her door frame.

"Zuko," she said back as she motioned for him to come in. After that the formality was gone as he plopped down on her bed and laid back.

"How was the spa?"

"The spa was the spa. Relaxing. Have you ever tried the hot rocks?"

"Don't need to," he put his hands in the air, "they're better than hot rocks."

"You mean to tell me that I spent a small fortune when you were here all along?" she joked.

"Just ring me next time," he told her with a smile.

"I will, trust me."

They lay on her bed in silence before Zuko broke it. "You practically bolted when the wedding subject was brought up, why?"

Katara blew a small gust of air from her mouth, "I just don't … well I don't know Zuko. What if I never get married? It just seems pointless to talk about something that might never happen."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because. I mean I've never really had a boyfriend and …." She shook her head. "Well Aang's still a kid, it will be years before anything. And you know …"

"You're confused."

"Yes."

He said nothing as he pondered over that just like he had been doing ever since she had told him a month back. There was something that told him to ask her what he had been meaning to ask her ever since she told him. It seemed like a viable question. Things were just too thick between them in that sense that it seemed reasonable. If she felt what he thought she felt then ….

"Is it because of me?"

She stilled for a second time that day. Words escaped her. She had been wondering just when he would ask her that. She'd actually thought she'd been prepared for the question. She turned her head to face him. His golden eyes glittered in the dim light as he waited for her answer.

"Yes."

He let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.

"I've been confused because of you too. That's why I broke off things with Mai … Katara, I don't want to be mistaken."

"Mistaken about what?"

"That there could be an us. That's there's a possibility of an us someday …."

Katara traced her finger along his jawline. "There's a very strong possibility of an us Zuko, I just didn't think that we'd actually ever talk about it."

"Yeah neither did I," his lips curved up with a hint of smile.

"What does this mean now that it's out in the open?"

Zuko took her hand in his. "That we can either pursue it or drop it."

"It would be a waste to drop it," she told him as she squeezed his hand. "But we shouldn't rush anything either. We've only just acknowledged it."

"Definitely, besides it's only tradition that I court you to win your heart fair and square."

She laughed. "Does this have anything to do with your honor?"

Zuko let out a throaty chuckle, "It has everything to do with my honor."

"Well then court me Fire Lord Zuko."

"Still think there's no chance of a wedding for you?" he asked with a smirk.

She raised an eyebrow. "Start with the courting Hotpants, not the proposing."

* * *

"Pay up Toph," Suki told the earthbender as she broke out in a huge smile as they left the hallway and crept back into the foyer. "I told you that wedding talk would get them to admit their feelings for each other."

"Technically they didn't say they loved each other, so I don't have to pay up." Toph whispered back to her as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine then, since you're not wrong you don't have to pay now … you can pay me at their wedding."


	6. Understand

Day 6: Somebody to Die For

 _ **Understand**_

She often questioned me as to why I had done it with the saddest and most shamed look in her eyes and I always responded with the same thing.

And how couldn't I?

How could I not respond like that when I saw her smile, the way it lit up any place she went to as it spread across her caramel lips. When I saw her eyes, the same eyes that had initially mesmerized me, how could I respond with anything else?

She would never understand. She would never understand just why I had done it. But as she lay there bathing under the sun's light, her tawny skin glowing and her hair sprawled around her like a brunette halo of curls asking me the same question she had asked me a thousand times over I truly understood why I had done it.

"Why? Because 'Tara," I said taking in a deep breath and then looking back at her, "You're somebody worth dying for a million times over. Don't ever think I'd take it back. Not even for a second."

Her face saddens, "But Zuko …"

"No," I tell her, "don't argue. Katara, just accept it for what it is besides," I flash her a smile, "I'm still here."

She takes a long look at me before she kisses my cheek. "Thank you Zuko. For everything." She pauses and her eyes move across my face. She then places a cool hand against my scarred cheek and I lean into it.

I'm in love with her.


	7. Love Is Stronger Than Anything

Day Seven: Regret

 ** _Love Is Stronger Than Anything_**

I was an idiot, I told myself as I once again found myself intoxicated with the pain of having lost the only person that could have ever loved me as I was. I had lost him forever.

I took in a deep breath to steady myself. How long had I been here anyways, out in the middle of nowhere with only snow and the frigid cold surrounding me? The sun was going down and the tears had long since dried on my streaked face.

The feeling of complete desolation had overtaken me so many times since that day when I had just up and left but today had been the worst day of all. It had been six months. Oh La, I was an idiot.

"Katara! Katara?" came the voice of my brother. I didn't answer, he would see me anyways. He always found me when I hit the bottom of the bottle.

"Katara, no. Katara this has to end." His face was full of concern.

"Oh Sokka, I messed up."

"It's been six months, I thought you would have come to terms with your decision."

"Well I haven't." I felt my throat tightening up again but there would be no tears. By this time I was pretty sure I had run out. "La, I'll never accept it and I'll always regret it. He hates me now Sokka, I could never win him back."

The snow crunched as he came to stand next to me. He extended his hand out for me to take. I took it reluctantly and he pulled me up for a hug. He was warm, he understood me.

"He doesn't hate you Katara. He's heartbroken too. More than that, Katara you should just go to him. Trust me when I say this, he misses you. He wants to understand why you said no."

"I've told you."

"But you've never told him," he said as he held me at arm's length. "He at least deserves to know it."

"Know that I said no to his proposal because I was scared of loving him? Because I was scared that one day it could all end because of his duty to his nation? How could I ask that of him, to place me above everything else. Sokka, that's so selfish."

I let go of him and hugged my arms across my chest.

"He was already putting you above everything else when he proposed to you Katara."

I huffed in anger and desperation. "I know, I know! I've realized it now, but it's too late! Don't you see, he has Mai again. And Mai's always loved him. He deserves someone like that. Someone who his nation will accept."

"He's not with Mai," Sokka said with certainty and I knew that it was the truth but it helped sometimes to think that Zuko had found happiness again, it made me feel better.

Sokka sighed and grabbed at my arm and began to speak again, "All that mattered was that he accepted you Katara." He pulled me back in for a hug. "Come on, let's go back home."

...

I knew it was stupid of me but I couldn't stop myself from doing it. It had been eight months and I had yet to do anything other than just live life out like an empty shell. I had to at least write to him once. He deserved that. That's what Sokka had said.

I calmed myself with a deep breath. Here it went.

 _'Zuko,_

 _I know you must not want to hear about me, and I know that I have no right to even write to you. I know these things Zuko. But don't you ever think for second that there wasn't a reason for my actions. You can continue to read if you want, or you could burn this letter now. I doubt anything will change whether you do one or the other. Here goes:_

 _Zuko, I love you more than anything in this world. I don't know how to even put it into words. It hurts so much to even see the sunrise because it's you Zuko. You're everywhere. I can't even think straight anymore because you're the only thing I see. I know that if I were to live a hundred years all those years I would love you. You mean so much to me and it pains me that I haven't seen your smile in so many months. The smile that would only bring me so much comfort. It pains me that I haven't heard you voice in so many months. How could I ever forget the voice that soothed me for so many nights when I would wake up crying because of a nightmare?_

 _My thoughts of you don't have an ending, let me make that clear to you._

 _But you must know that it was never because of you that I said no. Zuko, it could have never been because of you. It all seemed so daunting. Zuko, they would have never accepted me. You would have fought them tooth and nail for them to even name me your wife. I couldn't put a drift between you and your nation like that. It would have been selfish of me to just do that to you. You, who fought so hard for his throne. Who deserves it more than anyone else. I could have never done that to you. I love you too much._

 _It might have become obvious to you, or Sokka could have told you, but that's why I left. I just beg you not to hate me. Please, I couldn't stand the thought of that. Just know one thing, that if I were to die tomorrow, that my biggest regret would be letting you, the love of my life, go._

 _We could have overcome it all together but I was too stupid to see that. And now it's too late._

 _\- Katara'_

I sent the letter out with one of Sokka's hawks before the day had ended. I didn't know if I wanted a reply or not.

* * *

"Fire Lord Zuko, there is a messenger hawk here for you from the Southern Water Tribe," the guard announced as he walked into my study.

"Bring it here," I commanded. The Southern Water Tribe. I sighed. It would probably be just be Sokka again. Or maybe something official from Chief Hakoda. Either ways my heart raced at the prospect. It had been eight months and I was still in love with her.

The guard came in carrying the scroll.

"Set it on the table, I'll read it as soon as I can."

"Yes my lord," he said as he placed the scroll on the table. He bowed quickly and left me.

I eyed the scroll. It wasn't big enough to be something from Chief Hakoda. It must've been from Sokka. It could wait, I figured, but there was something about this particular scroll that made me reach out for it even with the stacks of paperwork in front of me.

I broke the seal and unrolled it carefully. It was written in her hand. My breath hitched.

How could I ever forget her? It would be impossible and now, as I held her letter in my hands, it seemed heart wrenching to even think about that. I began to read.

I must have read it four times over before I realized that I had begun to cry. Oh Katara, my Katara. There was nothing I wouldn't give just to see her at that very moment. Agni, I still loved her more than anything. And she still loved me too. Agni, I would give my entire country to see her again.

...

"Go to her Zuko," Mai suggested over dinner. "It's obvious that she's a mess over all this. And so are you, you haven't been yourself ever since she left."

"She thinks I hate her Mai."

"Do you?"

"No."

"Well then go, you need a break anyways. Things will be kept in shape here, I promise. Zuko you both need this. This could mean both of your happinesses. What good is a nation ruled by an unhappy man?" Mai gave me a small smile. "Zuko, go."

And so I did.

* * *

There was something in the air today, something I couldn't quite shake. It was something I couldn't explain but it felt familiar somehow.

It was when there was black snow in the air that I knew what it was. A visit from the Fire Nation.

It had been years since they had come, but instead of fear now there was only a sense of wariness, and curiosity from the tribespeople.

Was this an official visit? I didn't even stay around long enough to find out, I just ran off to where I had been going to since I had come back.

I stayed there for hours laying against the cold snow and playing with it in my fingers. Hearing the familiar crunch was oddly calming. The crunching got louder and I realized it wasn't from my hands. Someone was coming. Sokka was coming to get me again, but I didn't want to go back, not if anyone from the Fire Nation was here. It would be too much.

It was when I heard his voice that my heart lept and stopped all at once.

"Katara."

I didn't want to turn around. It was a trick, I told myself, he wasn't here.

"Katara."

I sucked in a deep breath. "Zuko."

I turned my head in his direction. He was glorious against the snow. His skin glowed in reflection to it, his ebony hair contrasted sharply with all the white. He was a vision for my heartbroken state.

I stood up without breaking eye contact with him. His eyes, molten gold, were too much for my soul.

"Wha- what are you doing here?"

"I came for a visit," he stated nonchalantly like if this were a common occurrence. How could he do this? Just come in so calmly while a storm stirred inside me?

"Sokka's back at the village."

"I came for you."

My heart stopped again then before I began to shake. "My letter," I mumbled out before I could stop myself.

"Yes, your letter. Katara," his voice grew soft, "Katara, you should have told me. It would have saved us both so much. Didn't you think I'd understand?"

I shook my head as he walked closer. "It wasn't you who wouldn't understand."

"My nation," he said as he came to a stop in front of me.

It took all that was in me to not take him into my arms. I never thought I'd see him again.

"It would have been selfish of me."

He put a hand up to stop me from continuing. "I've realized that it was more selfish of me to ask you to marry me without considering that you'd say no. And then getting angry when you said no. But let me tell you something Katara, I would give anything for your love. Even my nation."

"No Zuko don't say that."

"It sounds extreme but there's no other way to say it. Silly woman, you made a fool of me. And here I am again, because Katara I love you. I love you more than anything else. Don't you see? It was you that helped me grow. It was because of you, because of all your support and your care and your love that I grew. And as I grew so did my nation. Katara, you've done so much for me and for the Fire Nation."

"The nation would divide itself if I had married you. Zuko, they'd never want a Waterbender as their Fire Lady."

"Who cares what a bunch of stuffy old men want, this is what I wanted. What I still want. Katara, I want you as my companion, as my wife, as my Fire Lady, for life, forever."

He had taken my face into his warm hands and life within me surged again.

"You don't know how badly I want to be all those things to you Zuko but-"

"But nothing Katara, I regret letting you go so easily before, and I won't let it happen again. I will fight for you Katara until the end of time, until you see that nothing could ever come between us."

He leaned forward and kissed me. Oh La how I had missed his lips!

I kissed him back with as much fervor. All those months of destitute passion melted away as we deepened our kiss and I felt the world stop spinning. I don't know how I had lived without this man, and however I had managed to survive could barely be called a life.

We broke away slowly and we looked into each other's eyes.

"Is it too late to win you back?" I asked him.

"You never lost me."

"You won't ever regret taking me back, even after …. well everything?"

He shook his head and kissed me again. "I could never regret anything when it comes to you Katara. Will you return with me?"

I nodded. "It's all I've been wanting to do, I just never found the courage. I couldn't face you."

"Can you face me now?"

I managed a small laugh. "Yes. Because I love you and love is stronger than anything. I'll return with you Zuko, and I'll never leave again, so long as you still want me."

"I'll want you forever."

I kissed him then. "I'll want you forever," I repeated, "I love you."


	8. The Sailor's Daughter

Day Eight: Lullaby

 _ **The Sailor's Daughter**_

She was always humming something softly as she went around and cleaned up after all of us. Sometimes her lips would move as she would mouth the words. Sometimes they would be sung in a breathy voice, barely above a whisper. I would always strain to hear the words but I could never catch them. But she continued on humming and singing to herself as the days went on.

The first time I ever heard her actually sing her lullaby was when she went to comfort Toph after a particularly horrible nightmare. Hearing the young earthbender cry out for a mother had been heartbreaking but I had felt completely useless in situations like those, I couldn't help her. Katara didn't hesitate as I heard her run to where Toph was. She never hesitated in helping others.

Her voice was enchanting as she sang about the sea and the sailors, about the young girl waiting for her father to return to her, and then when he finally did, her happiness in having her father back. Toph's cries had ceased by the end of the song and she had gone back to sleep. For that night there were no more nightmares.

She continued to hum and sing the lullaby as she always did but it was only after that night that I noticed the sadness in her eyes as she would do so. Then I remembered the words to her song, and I knew exactly what it meant to her and why it saddened her.

At that moment I felt it was the time to help the one person who always helped the rest of us. Even me, when I didn't deserve it. I knew what I had to do.

...

"Why did you do it?" she had asked me that evening. I was outside sitting, looking up at the sky when she came up behind me.

"You and Sokka didn't deserve to be kept from your father," I told her as I dug my fingers into the soft earth. "No one deserves to be kept from their parents."

She sat down besides me. Our shoulders touched ever so slightly.

"Thank you," she said, "thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me, anyone could have done it."

"But you did it," she emphasized, "and you didn't have to." She put a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you."

I managed a small smile as she got up and left.

* * *

The crying had gotten worse and my headache was keeping me from doing anything at this point. I strode out of my office and into the hallway quickly before it got any worse. I stopped at the door as I heard that familiar song all over again. It had been years.

I peeked inside and there she was holding Kaito while singing her lullaby. I stayed to listen as my son's cries grew softer as Katara kept on singing. The sea, the sailors, the lost father and …. the young savior? I opened the door a little more and caught the rest. How the young savior had helped the girls father in returning and her happiness at her father's arrival. Her voice was still as beautiful as the first time I heard her singing, but that wasn't the reason why there was a lump in my throat or why I had suddenly gone teary eyed.

She kissed Kaito's soft tawny cheek before laying him back down in his bassinette. I stepped in further. She looked up.

"Zuko, oh La, did he disturb you? I ran over as fast as I could, I know you're busy …"

"I would have come anyways," I interrupted her, "you need your rest."

She looked at Kaito. "I'll be fine, I just don't want him to cry."

"Babies cry Katara," I chuckled. "We were warned."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "We were warned plenty."

I went over and stood next to her. My eyes went down to look at my now sleeping son. He looked so serene, it was hard to imagine that he had been crying just a couple of minutes ago. I looked back up at Katara.

"You changed it."

She looked at me in confusement. "Changed what?"

"Your lullaby."

"What? How …? But you …."

"I heard it once before, when you sang it to Toph after she woke up screaming from a nightmare. It was the only time I heard you sing it until now. But you changed the words."

She nodded slowly. "I did." She stopped and looked deep into my eyes. "You remember the original words?"

I sighed and grabbed her hand. "After I heard it that night, well it just made me …"

"You rescued my father because of that didn't you?" She was quick to put it all together.

I nodded in affirmation. "You were always humming it or singing it to yourself, but it wasn't until after that night that I noticed the sadness in your eyes. And then Sokka told me about your father …"

She pulled me in for a kiss. "You don't know how happy you made me that day. You returned the sailor to the daughter and you became the savior. Zuko," she kissed me again, "you've made me the happiest I could ever be. Then, now and forever. You are truly the most wonderful husband, and truly a most wonderful man."

I kissed her then.


	9. Opposites

Day Nine: Sun and Moon

 _ **Opposites**_

I had heard the story plenty of times. How the sun and the moon were lovers. But even being a romantic at heart I had never thought it to be something that was possible.

The sun and the moon were opposites. The sun burned; the moon soothed.

But when I looked into his eyes, and I mean actually looked, I thought that maybe the story wasn't so wrong. And the first time we kissed I realized it.

The sun and moon could be lovers.


	10. Found You

Day Ten: Reincarnation

 _ **Found You**_

In how many lives had their souls been able to find each other? They always started out the same. Strangers, with no other way of finding each other except of it being by fate. Their paths were never meant to cross but they always did somehow. They were always meant to be together. He was always a troubled soul and she was always the one who mended his ways. It was a pattern. And they knew it would repeat itself. It always did.

"I'll wait for you," he told her once when he had been the first to go.

"We'll find each other again," she told him as she took her final breaths the next time, "we always do."

And the cycle was not broken in the next life. As the now amber eyes fleetingly met the new azure eyes that day, the pattern was set in motion and it was only a matter of time before they remembered all the lives they had shared together.

"I've found you again," came the whispers of his past self.

"You always do," came hers.


End file.
